George Lucas Screen Grab - H 2012
George Lucas didn’t pull any punches Friday on CBS This Morning, ripping the Academy for its all-white actor nominees this year, saying of the Oscar-nomination process, “It’s a political campaign. It has nothing to do with artistic endeavor at all.”
Lucas was responding to host Gayle King‘s question about whether he saw the all-white categories as a snub of eligible black actors, like Selma‘s David Oyelowo.
Lucas elaborated, referring to Academy members, “Why do we elect people who drift toward not the most talented, best, and brightest we have in the country? It’s all political. … I think it hurts everybody.”
The Star Wars director, who appeared on the morning show to promote his new animated film Strange Magic, said he’s not a member of the Academy specifically because of all the controversy constantly surrounding it.